The Last Champions

by Dave Simpson

The triumph and tragedy of the Leeds team that won the First Division championship in 1992—and what happened next When the Leeds United players celebrated winning the championship in April 1992, they could not have had any inkling how momentous the occasion was. Manchester United, losers at Liverpool that sunny Sunday afternoon, had now gone 25 years without winning the league. Howard Wilkinson's side, promoted just two seasons ago, could bring back the glory days to Leeds. But Wilkinson would prove to be the last English manager to win the league. In 1992, football changed beyond all recognition. Twenty years on, this book looks back at the roots of that success and the amazing cast of characters who came together to fashion the triumph. Dave Simpson's quest to catch up with the protagonists of the era, from the visionary Sergeant Wilko, top scorer Lee Chapman, and unsung heroes like Mike Whitlow and Carl Shutt (not forgetting Eric Cantona, of course), sees him unearth some extraordinary untold stories. And he finds that the last champions were also the last ordinary people to win the league, before the Premier League saw skyrocketing wages, billionaire foreign owners, and the dictates of television taking the game away from the fans. It is the brilliantly told story of the end of an era.

Genres: Nonfiction, Football

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Lee Slator · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly entertaining by an author who is very very passionate about his football team. A must read for people like me who class the squad of 1991/92 as their heroes.

[P M HOLMES · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous read this was taking me back to a nostalgic period with an insight from the great players of that team. A must for all Leeds United fans. The author must have worked tirelessly to obtain these interviews, only disappointed that a few of the players weren’t able to contribute but this still did not detract from the enjoyment of the book.

[Rachel Rothwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book about Leeds winning the league in 1992. The author talks to players and staff about their memories. Loved it. Brought back loads of memories!!!

[Steven Pilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leeds fan so rating is biased

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new-ish Leeds United fan, I was looking for a way to learn about the history of the team. The Damned Utd didn't exactly provide a glowing view of Elland Road or the club at all, but this one definitely did. Dave Simpson tells us what it was to be a fan of the 1991/1992 League champions and goes chapter by chapter with members of that team. Surely written for fans of that squad in particular, I still found it thoroughly engaging and smiled throughout. I'd love to read a book on his last chapter, the period after 1992; guess I'll have to look for one. Loved his perspective, loved the interviews, and by the end, loved those Last Champions as well. Four stars.